Santorini Limits Athinios Cruise Disembarkation to 30%

Santorini has implemented new cruise tender limits from June 13 that cap cruise passenger disembarkation at Athinios Port at 30 percent per day and route the remaining 70 percent through Ormos Fira, the old port below Fira. The Municipal Port Fund of Thira issued the rule for ships tendering passengers ashore because the island has no conventional cruise berth for large vessels.

The rule reduces Athinios’ share from 40 percent under the previous arrangement. Cruise lines that do not comply face administrative fines, suspension of activities and criminal sanctions.

Operational impact centers on Athinios and Fira

Athinios is Santorini’s main ferry port and has the road access cruise lines use to move excursion passengers by bus to other parts of the island. The port also handles ferry, cargo and logistics traffic, which local officials cited as a reason to ease pressure on the facility.

Ormos Fira, also known as Fira Bay, is the traditional cruise tender point below the clifftop town. Passengers reaching Fira from the old port use either the cable car or a roughly 600-step stairway; the harbor has no direct road access. The cable car’s published capacity is 1,200 passengers per hour in total, or 600 in each direction, with six-passenger cabins.

The Port Fund approved the policy unanimously. Officials said the allocation is intended to improve safety, reduce congestion and manage passenger and vehicle flows between the island’s ports. The decision cited civil protection measures tied to the 2025 seismic activity crisis and the need to keep areas clear for emergencies.

The Municipality of Thira and the Municipal Port Fund have rejected criticism of the rule, saying it is based on current legislation and follows Greece’s Joint Ministerial Decree for tourist safety. They also said Ormos Fira has traditionally handled cruise arrivals and has adequate infrastructure following recent investments.

Santorini’s existing crowd controls

Santorini handles roughly 900,000 to more than 1.2 million cruise passengers a year and now operates with an 8,000-passenger daily cap, a threshold Mayor Nikos Zorzos said came from work with the University of the Aegean during an earlier term. Before the cap, peak days could exceed 15,000 cruise visitors and reach as high as 17,000.

The port allocation also sits alongside Greece’s cruise passenger levy, introduced in 2025. Santorini and Mykonos carry the highest peak-season charge, at €20 per passenger.

Dispute widens with cruise operators

The Naxos First Instance Prosecutor’s Office has requested an investigation into the new allocation. Local authorities have defended the decision against criticism from cruise lines and the Cruise Lines International Association over how passengers are moved ashore.

In an interview with Greek Reporter, Zorzos alleged that “operators are actively trying to bypass Fira to redirect tourists toward Athinios and Ammoudi.” He also accused some ships of delaying morning disembarkation and then sending passengers ashore at the same time, creating bottlenecks at the old port.

Georgios Nomikos, president of the Santorini Port Fund, argued that Fira is not receiving the full volume implied by the 70 percent allocation because some passengers stay onboard while others transfer to Ammoudi, caldera tours or other excursions. “When CLIA publishes photos of overcrowded docks, they are being deceptive,” Nomikos told Greek Reporter.

Greek Reporter did not include a response from CLIA or individual cruise operators to those allegations. The Port Fund decision did not set an expiration date, leaving the rule in force until the board changes it.